Editor’s Note: Dave and Cheryl Weaver of Weaver’s Signature Coin & Currency Auctions are among the most progressive and entrepreneurial online coin auctioneers, excelling in photography, online advertising, consignments and customer service. We’re proud to share their “On the Block” about their attempts to deal professionally and courteously with Proxibidders.

By Dave and Cheryl Weaver

“White Hat” customers are the cream of the crop-both buyers and sellers. We can always count on their payment method to function properly. This customer communicates clearly. This customer remembers to let us know if emails or phone numbers change. This customer also provides feedback–both satisfaction with the sale or purchase and sometimes suggestions for improvement. As a seller this customer respects our experience and works with us to offer quality items in a fairly graded manner.

“Gray Hat” customers are generally those customers who are time-consuming. We have to call for a new credit card or call to have money added to a debit card. We accept PayPal payments as a courtesy but we don’t want to wait 5 days for payment. Be advised: When we are boxing & shipping, your order will wait until last when we’re busy trying to contact you.

“Black Hat” customers are fortunately rare for us. Thank goodness! These customers bid generally live online with apparently no intention of ever paying. The credit cards are denied as insufficient funds. (Once again it’s too bad you can register with a debit card without a minimum limit of funds available.) The phone number is no good and of course emails go unanswered. A “Non-Paying Bidder Report” is filed immediately with Proxibid. This generally results in this person being black-listed from Proxibid auctions, which is better for all of us. Insufficient fund checks are given a 10-day notice before being turned over to our County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. All “Black Hats” and a few “Gray Hats” are added to our Proxibid permanently denied customer list.

Proxibid strives to provide us with safeguards to prevent “bad guys” from bidding on our auctions but it still pays to monitor bidders automatically accepted for our auctions. We have one bidder that we have permanently denied THREE times! Changing the spelling of his name and other personal information got him through the system.

We strive to maintain strong, honest customer relationships. No set of terms or rules can define every issue. We deal with issues as they rise in what we hope is the most fair manner and say THANK YOU when we can finish an entire auction start to finish with no glitches!

Postscript: If you are an auctioneer who wants to share views in “On the Block,” leave your email in a comment. We’ll be in touch. Rules are simple: Explain your practices and perspectives as proactively as possible, as our intent is to share information to make the online buying experience pleasurable and profitable for auctioneer, consignor and buyer.

Proxiblog is an independent entity with no ties to Proxibid. We promote the ethics of the National Auctioneers Association and American Numismatic Association.